The university's governing board elected Sloan on Tuesday, with the goal of transforming the little-known commuter school in southwest Houston into one of the nation's leading evangelical institutions.

Sloan, 57, is seen as the kind of leader who can raise the relatively young university's profile after guiding Baylor's unprecedented growth during a decade-long tenure.

"Our potential is equal to his track record," said Mark Denison, pastor of First Baptist Church in Gainesville and a member of the search committee that recommended him.

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At Baylor, Sloan pushed a 10-year plan, known as Baylor 2012, which calls for the university to become a top-ranked research institution with a reinvigorated Christian emphasis. But his efforts divided the campus, leading to his resignation last year, even as the ambitious plan remained in place.

In an interview, Sloan listed general goals for HBU, such as improving student recruitment. He plans to spend the next year or so asking questions of administrators, faculty members and students before developing a long-range plan.

"I have a lot of learning to do because the universities are so different, and the cities are so different," Sloan said. "There isn't a formula you can take from one place to another."

Ray L. Cox Jr., chairman of HBU's board and an alumnus, put it more starkly: "One of the things that attracted us to him is his vision," he said. "But we don't want a cookie-cutter of what he did at Baylor."

Even though the universities share religious ties, they stand in contrast. HBU is located in the nation's fourth-largest city and offers bachelor's and master's programs to 2,300 students, mostly commuters, while Baylor is the leading institution in Waco, with 14,000 students, a law school, Division I athletics program and larger endowment.

Sloan's positions at Baylor put him at odds with many moderate Baptists. HBU, meanwhile, loosened ties with the Baptist General Convention of Texas in 2000 because of a disagreement over who controls the board of trustees. Several trustees were members of conservative churches that supported the newer Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

The biggest challenge for Sloan at HBU, Key said, "will be to bring a Christian identity to a school where many students go there because of the convenience."

Some trustees said they asked Sloan about his troubles at Baylor, including three votes of no confidence by faculty leaders, who claimed at one point that he had created a "chilling work environment." His answers satisfied them.

"To me, he remained true to his principles, and that was more important than the issues," Denison said.

Despite Sloan's previous problems with professors, some HBU faculty members said they were encouraged by the appointment, noting his fresh ideas and fundraising ability.

"I don't have any reservations about our ability to have a positive and productive relationship," said Brenda Whaley, an associate professor of biology and president of the faculty assembly.

Sloan balked the first time someone suggested the job at HBU because of his doubts about wanting to lead another university. But the more he talked to Denison and others, the more he liked the idea.

"I really have a passion for Christian higher education," said Sloan, who is scheduled to start his new job Sept. 1.

He signed a three-year contract, which can be renewed annually. HBU did not reveal his salary, but his predecessor, E.D. Hodo, earned more than $265,000 annually, according to the school's most recent tax filings. As Baylor's president, Sloan earned $410,000 a year.

Hodo presided over the university for 17 years before retiring last month. Sloan told trustees that he does not intend to retire before his 70th birthday.

The new job severs his ties with Baylor after 23 years. Since his resignation, he has served as the university's chancellor, concentrating on fundraising, student recruitment and its bid to land George W. Bush's presidential library and museum.